Improvement in draft attachments for wagons



C.- P. & E. E. WHIPPLE.- D-raf t-Attachment for Wagons.

No .197,986. Patented Dec.11,1877

'lllllll 1' "it Mm HOTO-UTNMPIER. WASHINGTON, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIo E.

CLARENCE r. WHii- LE AND nnrnvenn n'wurrrrn, or CHICAGO, ILL.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRAFT ATTACHMENTS FOR WAGONSQ' Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 197,986, dated December 11, 1877; applicationfiled May 8, 1877.

I to the tongue by means of a bolt having a wide head within foldingflanges, forming an open eye or slot, within which the shank of thedraw-plate is held and guided, permitting to the plate both alongitudinal movement within the head, and a rotary or axial movementabout the shank of the bolt, as more fully described below; and, second,in connecting the hammer-strap to the draw-plate at its rear end bymeans of a hook solid with the plate, with the objects of greaterpermanence, simplicity, and cheapness.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Ais a T-shaped draw-plate, with hooks at the extremities of the arms forthe attachment of connectingchains 0 O. B is a head, solid with orsecured to the bolt E, provided with a retainingxlslot or open eye,adapted to receive and retain,

while allowing free movement to, the shank of the plate A, and securedloosely to the tongue T by the bolt E. O G are flexible connections,joining the plate A to the vehicle. H is the hammerstrap, provided withan eye fitted to the hook K, which is solid with the plate A. Gr is thedouble-tree or evener.

Figure 1 shows the draw-plate applied to a wagon. Fig. 2 shows theslotted head B and bolt E detached from other parts. Fig. 3 shows anequivalent form of the head B, and Fig. 4 is a side view of theattachment with all parts except the chains 0 O in place.

In applying the attachment to a wagon, the head B is secured to thetongue,.as shown in Fig. 4. The draw-plate A, with hammer-strap hookedthereon, is slid into the head B, and the chains 0 0 connected to thefront axle near the wheels, as seen in Fig. 1. These chains should be ofsuch length as, when taut, tohold the plate well back in the head. Thedouble-tree is then put in place and secured by the hammer-strap and nut'n. Draft being applied, the chains 0 C will, together and equally,receive the entire strain of the load until one or the other front wheelencounters an obstacle. When this occurs the obstructed wheel isretarded, the tongue begins to swing in the direction, of the retardedwheel, the plate A slides backward slightly within the head B, androtates somewhat on E toward and slackening the chain opposite theobstructed wheel,leaving the entire draft upon the retarded end of theaxle. The effect is to greatly reduce the force otherwise necessary tooverride the obstruction and to diminish the swaying of the tongue.

This prompt diversion of the draft is possible only when the plate A hasthe compound movement described and permitted by the slotted head B andbolt E.

In applying the attachment to a mowingmachine or other implement withouta bedpiece or other suitable places of connection for the chains 0 G, across-bar may be secured to the tongue back of the plate, or otherprovision may be made for this purpose.

When the hammer-strap is connected to the draw-plate by the solid hookK, it is necessary to provide for its free passage over the top of thebolt D, and at the same time for a direct bearing against the bolt whenthe strap is lowered to its proper place. To this end, as

seen in Fig. 4, the hole in the strap is made larger than the bolt, andwhen the strap is down the bush 1), fitting the bolt and the hole in thehammer-strap, and also serving as a washer, is put on under the nut n.In this case 1) is rigid with'A; but D may be .so secured to A as totilt back and enter and follow the hole in the strap, and have a bearingand support from H at any point desired without the aid of b.

The hook K should be long enough to prevent the removal of thehammer-strap when the plate is attached to the tongue.

' Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is V 1. In combination with the draw-plate andconnecting-chains of a draft attachment, the 3. In combination withadraw-'p1ate,A,hav-.

bolt E, with its slotted head. B, adapted to reing a solid strap-hook,K, evener-bolt D, and ceive the shank of the draw-plate, and to allowhammer-strap H, the bushing b, substantially it both a longitudinal andan axial movement as and for the purpose described.

upon the tongue, substantially as described, CLARENCE F WHIPPLE and forthe purposes set forth.

2. In a draw-plate of a draft attachment, EFFINGER WHIPPLE' thestrap-hook K, solid with the draw-plate, Witnesses: fitted to the eye ofthe hammer-strap, substan- M. E. DAYTON, tially as described. I CHAS.GARDNER.

